Abstract
With the deepening of the garbage classification policy strength, making urban household garbage sorting mandatory in China, it is imperative to clarify the key factors affecting the urban residents’ intention to behave in garbage classification. Though it has attracted the attention of researchers, there are still several aspects that need to be supplemented and improved. Thus, this study aims to investigate the critical factors affecting the urban residents’ intention of garbage sorting and develop an extended model of planned behavior by integrating expectancy theory (ET) and norm activation model (NAM). Given the positive externalities of urban residents’ garbage sorting behaviors, awareness of consequences and attribution of responsibility are correspondingly interpreted as environmental benefits (EB) and environmental concerns (EC). The sample data of 668 urban residents who lived in four pilot cities of garbage classification in China were collected and adopted to the structural equation modeling (SEM) with bootstrapping estimation method to assess the causal relationship between variables. The results indicated that the expectation (Exp) was a significant positive predictor of garbage sorting intention. Attitude (AT), perceived behavior control (PBC) and subjective norm (SN) positively affected urban residents’ expectation of garbage sorting, with SN having the most significant direct impact. The results also found that the EB has significant influences EC, which strongly influences urban residents’ expectation of garbage sorting. Furthermore, the total effect of EC on Exp is higher than other paths, and the mediating effect of SN on Exp by AT and PBC is greater than other indirect paths, which accounted for about 27.1% of the total effect. Finally, we discuss both theoretical and practical implications, along with recommendations for future research.
Highlights
IntroductionBased on the China Statistical Yearbook, during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, the amount of China’s domestic garbage has risen from 204 million tons in 2016 to 242 million tons in 2019, with an average annual growth rate of about 6%
The results showed that environmental benefits and concerns should be taken into account in policy measures to strengthen urban residents’ attitude, moral norm, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control
This study developed an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) model that integrated the TPB, the norm activation model (NAM) and
Summary
Based on the China Statistical Yearbook, during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, the amount of China’s domestic garbage has risen from 204 million tons in 2016 to 242 million tons in 2019, with an average annual growth rate of about 6%. This amount is expected to exceed 270 million tons by 2021. Current disposal methods include mixed landfill (about 45.59% in 2019) and mixed incineration (approximately 50.69% in 2019), intensifying the demand for landfill land and greenhouse gas emissions during incineration These problems will lead to tension in the Sustainability 2021, 13, 12985.
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